SpaceX launches supplies to ISS astronauts from upgraded Cape Canaveral launchpad
A SpaceX Falcon 9 launched from Cape Canaveral at 4:55 p.m. ET Thursday, sending a supply ship to the International Space Station. The launch marks the first Dragon departure from Pad 40 since SpaceX completed renovations to accommodate astronaut missions from the Cape Canaveral launch site.
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FILE VIDEO: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched Intuitive Machines Nova-C Moon lander called Odysseus on Thursday morning from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (Video: NASA/SpaceX)
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – SpaceX launched a Cargo Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station on Thursday afternoon to deliver food and more science experiments to the astronauts working and living on the orbiting laboratory.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Launch Complex 40 at 4:55 p.m. ET Thursday. At the top of the rocket was a Cargo Dragon spacecraft packed with about 6,000 pounds of groceries, supplies, hardware and science experiments. This marks SpaceX's 30th re-supply launch (CRS-30) for NASA but the first re-supply mission launched from this pad in four years.
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NASA's ISS Transportation Integration Office Deputy Manager Kristi Duplichen said the crew can request menu items. For this launch, she said the crew asked for more coffee kits. They'll also get fresh produce, including citrus, apples and cherry tomatoes.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 launches from Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 40 on Thursday, March 21, 2024, sending a cargo supply mission to the International Space Station. (Image: SpaceX)
Among the payloads flying with SpaceX is a Canadian Space Agency CubeSat called Nanoracks-Killick-1. This spring, the shoebox-sized spacecraft will be deployed from the ISS to measure sea ice thickness. The Memorial University of Newfoundland senior undergraduate engineering classes developed the mission.
Heidi Parris, a NASA ISS research office associate program scientist, said the satellite uses a relatively new method to monitor Earth, known as Global Navigation Satellite System reflectometry (GNSS-R) or reflected signals. While it's been used before on larger spacecraft, this is one of the first small satellites to use GNSS-R for ocean monitoring.
"This monitoring system could contribute to a better understanding of important ocean phenomena, particularly in the North Atlantic region, as well as improve weather and climate models," Parris said.
Launch Complex 40 gets a facelift
The liftoff marks the first for a SpaceX Dragon vehicle from Launch Complex 40 since SpaceX completed modifications to the launch tower, adding a crew arm to accommodate astronaut missions.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 and Cargo Dragon spacecraft at Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral, Florida ahead of the CRS-30 launch.
(SpaceX)
Sarah Walker, SpaceX Dragon mission management director, said the modifications make the launch site more like SpaceX's facilities at Launchpad 39A at Kennedy Space Center. The updates included "a pretty big upgrade" to the elevator and an emergency evacuation route for the crew in the form of a chute or slide.
SpaceX recently shared a video of a test run on the emergency chutes at Pad 40.
"Our last Dragon mission to launch from this pad was about 10 cargo missions ago and just a little over four years ago," Walker said. "So here we are at CRS-30 launching again from pad 40, but with a pretty big upgrade over there on the pad."
SpaceX launches ahead of incoming storms
SpaceX got the rocket off the pad ahead of stormy conditions expected to come to Florida on Friday.
Launch Weather Officer Melody Lovin with the Space Force's 45th Weather Squadron said the weather looked good for Thursday's liftoff.
Lovin said if the launch had been delayed to Friday's backup window, the weather would have deteriorated significantly due to the low moving through Florida and bringing stormy conditions.
About 8 minutes after liftoff, the Falcon 9 booster came back to land at Cape Canaveral Landing Zone 1. As the booster returned, the rumble of a sonic boom could be felt throughout Central Florida.
The Dragon spacecraft will arrive and dock at the space station's Harmony module at 7:30 a.m. ET Saturday. About a month later, Dragon will return with research and cargo, splashing down off Florida's coast.